Characterization of Polypropylene and Polyester Meltblown Materials used for Food Oil Absorption

Abstract

Meltblown polypropylene and polyester and paper towels were examined for food oil absorption capacity by weight difference method. Six food oils (coconut, corn, cottonseed, olive, safflower, and sunflower) were used to include a range of fatty acid compositions. Materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy to note physical characteristics that related to absorption. Polypropylene absorbed 33.4% of the oils compared to 25.1% for polyester and 24.2% for paper towels. This was noted by the large pore size and small diameter fibers forming great numbers of pockets which could include oil. Polypropylene material should be considered in microwavable packaging as means to decrease dietary fat.

Cellulosic Substrates for Removal of Pollutants from Aqueous Systems: A Review. 3. Spilled Oil and Emulsified Organic Liquids

“…The highest capacity to collect crude oil was observed when using the finest fraction of the ground rubber particles. Likewise, when using fibrous biosorbents, Johnson et al (1973), Phifer and Costello (1992), Wei et al (2003), and Husseien et al (2009a,b) observed the highest sorption capacity for oil when using the finest denier fibers. An exception to the rule, regarding the size of sorbent particles, has been observed for a highly viscous oil; in such a case coarse particles can be an advantage (Ribeiro et al 2000).…”

“…Also, it needs to be recognized that cellulosic materials constitute just one of several promising classes of sorbents that have been evaluated relative to their ability to absorb spilled oil. Other substrates that have been considered include polypropylene (PP) fibers (Zahid et al 1972;Phifer and Costello 1992;Wei et al 2003), exfoliated graphite (Inagaki et al 2000a), coal (Rethmeier and Jonas 2003), wool (Radetic et al 2003;Rajaković-Ognjanović et al 2008), chitosan (Ahmad et al 2005a,b), specialty polymers with oil-compatible groups (Jin et al 2012), highly hydrophobic sponges (Reynold et al 2001;Gui et al 2010;Choi et al 2011;Moura and Lago 2011;Zhu et al 2011a), and inorganic materials such as perlite, vermiculite, and bentonite (Teas et al 2001;Ahmad et al 2005b;Curbelo et al 2006;Moura and Lago 2011).…”

“…While various synthetic polymer sorbents have been shown to be very effective for sorbing oil (Zahid et al 1972;Phifer and Costello 1992;Wei et al 2003), quite impressive results already have been achieved with the use of natural plant materials. Fibers obtained from kapok and milkweed have been found to have a similar or even a greater capacity to sorb oil from the water surface in comparison with typical polypropylene (PP) products that have been more often employed for this purpose (Knudsen 1990;Choi and Cloud 1992;Choi et al 1994;Choi 1996;Hori et al 2000;Deschamps et al 2003a;Khan et al 2004;Huang and Lim 2006;Lim and Huang 2007a).…”